Catching Up
by Fireware
Summary: [Sequel to Can't Catch Up.] To be able to have her own stories. That is the reason Jackie left her old life, her normal friends and everything she ever knew behind, to take a blind leap on the Multiverse, completely unprepared, armed only with the tales that Marco and Star told her. Will she manage to survive the universe dangers and her own inner struggles, and truly shine?
1. Star-Crossed Adventurers

**Star Vs is Owned by Daron Nefcy and Disney. As well as any entertainment media in the next decade. ANYWAY ON WITH THE STORY!**

* * *

The Amethyst Arcade was a hot-point for the Multiverse youth that:

A- Is either too young for the dozens of high profile clubs.

B- Too awkward to go to them

C- Is actually born in this dimension and is aware that it's virtually the only interesting thing about this cavernous realm, and given up to video games to bring the escapism the natives so desperately seek.

D- Just want to play video games.

Marco Ubaldo Diaz didn't really fit a lot of these descriptions, at least in the regards of escapism. The thrill of combat he already gets daily from his spars with the knights and Kelly in his path to become a knight of Mewni, an escapism from reality for him would be kind of silly, considering his decision many months ago from abandoning a safe life on Earth for the dangerous, thrill-seeking journey alongside Star. After all their adventures, all of their struggles together, after Hekapoo, Toffee and everything?

He knew he wouldn't be able to forget, nor truly be happy outside of the Multiverse. He's living his dream, why would he have any need for escapism?

He winced a bit, rolling his shoulder a bit, and chuckling "Wow, she really doesn't carry that big sword for nothing, doesn't she?". The stares he gets from the "pixels", the natives on the arcade, from the fact he had any contact with any female doesn't escape him, but just another similarity he can chalk between Earth and the Multiverse; however, that will be the last time he says he can take Kelly's punches in training. Her jab almost brought uncomfortable memories from Toffee again…

No. He isn't here to remember _that._ He's simply having his...me time; the stump celebration was really nice in the end, even if...mentally scarring; dealing with Star's smugness on the breakfast table about how she was right and everyone was wrong was just annoying, but to give her credit, she really was right; it's dumb to think things in Mewni are impossible, he's proven again and again otherwise: The invisible goat, and now the Stump.

Besides that, the day was heading to be just another usual day for him: Star and him chat up about her monster peace plans, then he heads to train with the others, deal with their snobbishness, Janna, and trains; Seems like not even in Mewni is he truly free of her, because now she's just saying she's staying in Mewni?

He would ask why, and how, which she just shrugged, and gave that grin that told him absolutely nothing, and the fact that Star parents just went with it after she gave them a letter of her parents approving made his hopes for a life where he doesn't need to lock his door every night and the knowledge of the futility of it crashed down in flames.

That letter was probably faked too. It's Janna.

Is it been a year huh? This place was his first dimension experience, and where he first met Ponyhead; in a way, it really was a good way to introduce him to Star's world. An odd dimension, with odd people, with Star's odd friends, that ended with them fighting something, the memories bringing him a smile to his face, especially after he passes the Lance Lance Revolution machine. "I think I have a quarter here, somewhere…" He digs through his pockets, fishing one, and inserting in the machine. The motions, once weird for him are now second routine, attracting a small crowd as he breaks high score after high score with ease.

Hah, he isn't even sweating! Take that, Ponyhead!

In his excitement, he doesn't notice a person approaching, holding a single coin in their hand, and inserting on the other slot, until the screen flashes with **New Challenger Approaches!** Blinking a bit, he turns to his side, seeing who entered the fray…

He couldn't see much, his shape covered by a dusty looking cloak, but the body definitely showed it being human...or human-like. He raises an eyebrow a bit, and the person giggles slightly...wait, that laugh is familiar…

He doesn't have time, as the game begins again, and he plays against them...he expected it to be an easy victory, considering his experience, but the individual is keeping up with him! His competitive drive sparked, he starts truly putting his all, the crowd behind them growing and growing, their eyes shining as the Titans clash, Marco putting up an actual sweat and his adversary struggling, raspy breathing coming from her…

After the game ends, the P1 Wins screen feels much more rewarding. He falters a bit, taking deep breaths with laughter intervals, and notices with some surprise and satisfaction that the same reaction came from his rival in Lance Lance. After they catch their breaths, they leave the game, to the disappointment of the crowd. The individual seems to be going on their way, Marco rushing to get caught up with them.

"H-hey, that was a great game! W-what's your name?"

Silence from the stranger...Marco keeps grinning for a moment, before looking away a bit of awkwardness.

"So...hmm...you're kind of like a wanderer? Cause I gotta say, you really look like it! Y'know...dusty cloak..silence...mysterious air...and…" he tries taking up small talk, grimacing a bit as the individual still doesn't reply…"Okay, I, hmm...will stop bothering-" He is cut off by the same feminine giggle, that erupts into a full blown laughter…

Wait...that laughter…?!

The girl takes off the top of the cloak, showing her medium-sized, slightly wavy platinum blonde hair with an unmistakable aqua streak, freckles and emerald eyes. Her face has some faded scars, and she's sure he sees a purple spot in one of her eyes, but her grin is wide, as she puts a hand on her hip, and the other hand extends, a sort of radar falling from her sleeves to her hand. She can't help but laugh at his stunned expression, before speaking.

"Hey Marco, it's been a while, huh?"

As in the past, Marco can't help but be wide-eyed as he sees Jackie, especially in a place out of Earth. Dozens of questions begin to be elaborated on his head, most of them variations of how, why, when and whose...but only one manages to escape, maybe with the help of the frustration with his another Earth friend.

"...why is everyone I know leaving Earth?" He finally asks after a while, rolling his eyes. Oh, he is surprised by Jackie being well...here at all, but considering Janna presence too, it feels way too much of a coincidence.

"Wait, she only went now?" She asks, genuinely surprised

"Well, I mean officially she was hanging out and delaying after Stump day, then one says she just said she would be sticking around."

"Ah. Well, to be honest, you really should have seen it coming." She mutters a little dismissive, but clear amusement in her tone, starting to walk again

"I did expect that coming from Janna, but you Jackie?" He scratches his head a bit, clearly confused "I-I mean, not that I'm happy, wait how did-" Jackie raises a pair of scissors to Marco's view, his eyes widening.

"Wait, that's Lu-"

"Yep."

"How did-"

"Remember that fight on the graveyard? He dropped those, they were like...still there. I guess they thought it was just normal scissors?" She twirls them a bit, oddly prideful of them, before snapping them shut with a click and pocketing them

Marco is left speechless for a while...Jackie expression grows sadder, albeit keeping the smile, looking to the side

"It's was...really bad back home, y'know. Without you, Star, Janna...not a whole lot of people that I could talk after meeting you guys. Not like...they would get it. After a while, I...guess I just had enough, decided to see for myself the stuff you and Star have seen for the past year. And have to say, I'm kinda mad at you for not inviting me before you know!" She turns to him, punching him in the shoulder playfully, and not noticing the wince he makes as she unknowingly punches the same shoulder Kelly bruised. "The stories have nothing on the real thing!" she says excitedly, turning to Marco that looks even more surprised.

"I didn't want you to get hurt, me and Star knew how to fight! You could get hurt, or..." He defends himself, Jackie humming understandably, raising a hand to cut him off.

"Yeah, you're right Marco. I mean…" She turns to him, deadpan "It's not like you would do a stupid decision like give up everything on Earth for adventure, right?" She replies, almost mean-spirited, but the half-closed eyes and small half-smile scream playfulness.

Marco starts to take air to reply...then lowers his finger, before cycling for quite a while. Jackie can't help but laugh again, and eventually, Marco joins, the two holding on each other for support…

"Also, it wasn't like, only for Adventure...I went to make sure Star was safe y'know? I'm her squire too now!"

Jackie stops a bit, and Marco weights his own words, covering his mouth and punching his head slightly. Yeah Marco, just remind her of that whole day, just rub the salt!

"Oh yeah, you and Star right?" She turns to him, her expression carefully neutral, but...Marco swears he can feel a chill, the air conditioner here is usually just right…"Are... you both dating now, right?" She finally asks, innocent curiosity in her expression...which comes to a realization as Marco looks uncomfortable, looking away.

"Hmm...she's-" Jackie pauses a bit, expression returning to neutrality...the lake and the monster party comes back to the front of his mind; his realization, the kisses just...he came here to leave that behind, not just relieve.

The cold gets really strong for a moment, making him gasp a bit and rubs his hoodie. "Woah where did that come from?" For some reason, Jackie does jump a bit for some reason, before giving a clearly forced laugh.

"I...get it I guess. You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to, y'know dude." She sits on one of the benches in the arcade, patting the other seat, the scene very much familiar "Hmm...honestly I'm just curious how ya even got here, did you just came from Earth? You look really different…" He sits down, looking at her.

"Oh no, I've been around since before Christmas, really."

"Wait, that was months ago!" He gasps at her again, and Jackie giggles as once again she manages to surprise Diaz.

"Yeeeep!" She extends the p, flicking Marco's nose and giggling at his reaction...the teens keep silent for a while, looking around, and still processing the presence of the other.

"Wow...you're really different now. From...like, last time, on the pier." He began speaking, twiddling his thumb. "I-I'm sorry by the way. I...got blinded. I really, really acted like the croissant boy, to the end." He laughs a bit bitterly, and Jackie just pats his shoulder

"Yeah, you were always really stubborn." She sighs a bit. "Let me guess, she's dating someone else." Jackie replies, an...aggressiveness to her tone Marco can't help but find odd

"So...yeah I'm sorry." Marco finishes, and Jackie only releases a pent-up sigh.

"On both ends, huh…" She looks upward, Marco groaning in frustration. "I think we really should change the topic! It's a happy time, right?" She finishes with a clear grin, turning to Marco, who just looks more than glad to...and maybe a bit curious. Marco blinks a bit...but shrugs, secretly glad to change it.

"Alright, then how did you even got out here?"

"Hah, no cutting around the bush, right?" Laughing, she looks in the distance "Okay, remember that Museum place we went on the fieldtrip…?"

* * *

The Multiverse is incredibly dangerous, for its full grasp is limited only by imagination, and even then it's oddest corners can bring sight, feelings, and forms completely incomprehensible for mere mortals.

Dimensions made solely for the benefit of other dimensions, like Quest Buy, the largest distributor of magic-related merchandise in all of the multiverse, and that in no way haven't promoted itself to appear first.

 **QuestBuy™** \- Now for the second millennia, the number one place to work in the Multiverse!

…

 _Getting back on track..._

Other dimensions are positively death worlds, inhabited by only the toughest, strongest beings that thrive in a might makes right world, the fantasy of many young adventurers until they actually do get there and realize, hey, fighting for your life isn't all that cracked up to be!

Unless, of course, you're an adventurer, drunk on adrenaline, or very much purpose-driven; in which case, you'll most likely fit in just right.

Other realms, like Mewni and others relatively saner, are fairly similar to Earth, but the presence of Magic and other elements brings an element of mysticism and wonder, bringing undoubtful excitement for anyone's life, but by trade making sure the rate of people getting to old age is even lower than it should have any right to be; because why have a long and fulfilling life if your last words before a sudden and idiotic demise was to say that the very fast acting quicksand pit isn't as quick as people say it is!

And in between those extremes, you have infinity. Underworld, Cloud World, Ice World, Desert World, A DIMENSION THAT IS SOLELY AN **ARCADE**!

 _ **Arcades aren't even that popular anymore!**_

...

Suffice to say there's a place for each person on Earth's wildest dreams, but for the sake of their sanity and physical integrity, they're much safer in their dimension, the tamest of all, to wonder and imagine from a safe distance; the fact that 99.99% of them have absolutely no idea of the concept of the multiverse is a shining example of the saying: " _Ignorance is Bliss"_

Then why would people seek to leave this peaceful existence, for one of neverending thrill? Even on Earth, in its safety in regard to the Multiverse, has more than enough thrill to satisfy someone for a lifetime; why seek something so wild and unlike their entire life?

The answer for that is different for each one; For Marco, it was Star and for a spark of adventure he couldn't ignore.

For Janna, the allure of the unknown and of magic closer to her fingertips than it ever was before.

For Jackie Lynn Thomas, someone with little to no experience with the wilderness of the imagination? Whose experience with the multiverse began and ended with a visit to a museum, and her ex's stories?

With no preparation with combat, or knowledge of the multiverse, or noticeable magical aptitude, experience or weapons besides a stolen pair of scissors and a skate?

It was glorified stupid teenage decisions made in the heat of a moment.

This is the story of how Jackie Lynn Thomas learned to stand amongst her best friends on her own terms.

* * *

 **I do want to get some things clear, first and foremost. I consider Can't Catch Up as its own story, in the same sense as the ending was optimal, the story right here can be considered a sequel to it, but ultimately one is entirely free to disregard this fic, as, admittedly, it will be more in tune with the show's tune than Can't Catch Up was.**

 **Second...well, this story exists because you people's reviews and reception of the story absolutely blew me away! I didn't know there was this much interest in a Jackie centric story here, so you can pat yourself on the back, for this story wouldn't exist without you people support!**

 **Updates wise, The Refugee Princess will take priority. And much like that story, I don't have a set schedule for updating that one, and this applies here; I'll try for one chapter on Princess and one on here, but sometimes I might want to focus more on another, so don't take this as gospel or hard truth. I most likely won't disappear for months with absolutely no news, so don't worry about that either. I apologize for how short this chapter was, I just wanted to get it out of the way as quick as possible so you all would know.**

 **It's also probably full of grammar mistakes because my beta ain't around. Woops. Anyway, I have no right to take this long on such a short story, so I'll be signing off!**


	2. The Start of Something Great!

**Well, that took a while. Sorry, holidays slowed me quite a bit, as well as Warframe!**

 **Krusa1 - The nature of Jackie going away from Echo Creek already makes it an alternate season 3, wouldn't you agree? The idea for All Caught Up is interesting, but I think it's for now too early to be thinking of a sequel, we don't want to be like Hollywood, do we?**

 **Guest and Prinnrayza - We could always use a little more Sk8 Girl, after all!**

 **Massive thanks for** **robertkellett for the ideas of this fic, and future chapters! Alright, let's go! SVTFOE is owned by Disney and Daron, you all know this, why we gotta repeat this and extend these pointless-**

* * *

Jackie could have done things much better.

Now, this sentence can be interpreted in myriad ways, which Jackie feels the need to mentally clarify herself...she could have simply organized things better. Sure, she wouldn't be seeing Marco nor Star, probably for the rest of her life...but she could have stopped, analyzed and remembered the museum better, make an actual plan. Even now, all she's carrying is few belongings and the momentum of her decision.

That, and snow. Shaking herself slightly, she takes the view of the Universe...or was it Interdimensional? She's not sure, anyway, the museum where she rode that cool flying...fish thing, with wings?

Stingrays, right!

"...hmm...anybody home?" She calls out, the voice echoing...as she stands around more, she does notice how the place looks, in fact, completely unchanged from the last time she was here...up and including the trash and rubble, making her cringe a bit...that certainly went downhill, wasn't it?

"No one?" She asks, the reply being her echoing voice. Jackie shudders a bit, the cold returning...loneliness. Just what she needs. Well, no point wasting time here, there surely needs to be someone in this dimension...or else she'll just y'know...return and make the whole point she was making to herself invalid. Just like when she tried to leave home when she was six.

With a shrug, she starts going to the museum, eyes observing and reading the ambient...as the last time, the place didn't feel natural really, like if it was inside of a building, the sky being this sickly green tint, with some...shapes like mountains in the distance, the tiled floor stretching as far as her eyes can see; around, she can see the maze-like structure she remember Sabrina going around before...y'know, being herself and getting hurt.

If she closes her eyes, she can still hear the cheers, the joy of everyone having fun, bringing a smile on her face...then the panicked sounds, the screams, hiding from that yarn monster, the bus shaki-

Okay, in retrospect, it was a terrible idea all around, is it too late to go back?

That is the last thought Jackie has before hitting her face against a wall, wincing in pain and rubbing her nose "Ouch, who put a wall…" She looks around, the Cave being...well, awfully familiar. Looking around a bit, she sees a plaque that makes her pause a bit

"Universe's Most Coziest Pre-Dwelling Historical Cave...the coziest is really, really arguable." She turns to the entrance, sweat going down her brow as she remembers...well, that yarn monster sure made some comfy socks she guesses…

"Hello...anyone there?" She shouts as she enters the cave, the only reply being complete silence and her echoing voice. She turns to the fireplace, and extends her hand to it, trying to feel any warmth…"It's still warm…?" She mutters, as she drops her bag, stretching her hand and breathing on them, trying to warm herself up...why is she so cold, she just left the blizzard!

Not wasting any time, she pulls the jacket closer, before deciding to walk around to try and find some wood...the last time she was here, that monster was gathering some, probably to roast them. There definitely ought to have something here, and it's high time she did something about this cold!

As a matter of fact, as she walked a bit deeper in the cave, there were stacks of wood, confirming her suspicion that yes, someone was living there; she taps her chin, uncomfortable, imagining who is living on what looks like an abandoned museum? Wait...was it abandoned because of them?

Well, they should have a guide about it, you give a bunch of teenagers access to all these cool things, what do you think they'll d-

In...retrospect, where were the museum staff? Even when they came, there really wasn't anyone looking after the exhibits, I think Ms. Skullnick did mention a Troll museum right, although that is probably speakers. With a huff, she gets some logs, leg shaking slightly, silently reminding herself that she really should do some exercises, and drops them on the fireplace, before reaching for her bag...clothes, towel, extra wheels for her skate, her dismounted skate...there, survival stuff!

A flashlight, and a lighter. Picking up the latter, she heads to the fireplace, and set one of the branches of, sitting near the renewed fire, warming her hands...well, that certainly wasn't a glamorous start, but there was...some romance on it really! Sure, she doesn't have a…"partner", like Marco, or isn't full of tricks like Janna, but she can do this.

She can survive like Marco did, and when they meet again, it will be Jackie that will tell the tales to the trio of them…

"I wonder how Marco's doing…" She mutters to herself, scowling at the thoughts yet again drift to the red-hooded boy, the...well, the icon for her, she can't deny. Watching someone change like that was in some ways a privilege and a curse; she did fall in love with the evolved Marco, but in a way, she was never truly a player…

Would she have had any chance if it was the earlier Marco, the safe kid? She thinks for a bit, before shaking her head...not really sure. The concept was still there but...that Marco didn't really have the confidence that she really liked about him, really.

Or it did, but Star was the one that showed him, not her. Maybe if she wasn't so worried about looking cool to the others, she would have got him first. She would have seen and witnessed this awesome Marco that she came to really, really like…

No point in arguing it over now, they're done! Marco and herself were not a thing anymore! She hugs herself closer, sighing the relief as the heat does work on heating herself up…

Enough brooding around, time to make plans. Laying on the floor, and pulling the back close to herself, she picks up her notebook, and clicks a pen, starting to draw her list of priorities. From what she gathered, the places Marco went were highly varied but there seems to be a sort of...road connecting them, in this case, the portals. SO, if she wants to go anywhere, she needs to find someone that can open a portal to a place that there are lots of people, but she knows how people treat homeless, at least back in Earth...so it's a homeless situation in an ever wider scale!

Wait, she's homeless now. Huh...that's actually kind of rad. I mean, technically being homeless on Earth is really bad, but she's...a hobo traveling across the universe! That's...transcendental. Deep, really…

...Nah, she's just homeless. She sighs, and laughs at herself a bit…

"You know, lady, intruding on private property and using of one's resources is quite rude, all things considered," A voice speaks behind Jackie, freezing her from her thoughts. Admittedly, she didn't jump immediately, throwing fists around, or screaming, but maybe because as she turned and her brain was processing a fight or flight situation, it was frozen by the...oddity of the creature.

It was an owl. A three-eyed, purple owl but even then that's odd and not y'know, really weird. What sold it to her was the...tie? A tie that came from the owl's chest, and acted...as legs. The lower body of the owl was more of this black, inverted pyramid shape like it was some sort of ancient deity? Anyway, that's what froze her...the owl, clearly unamused, clears its throat and repeats and asks, his voice posh...and British oh god can it be any more we-

"So, all things considered, would you at least give me a name?"

"Ah…" Jackie tries to pursue words, before slapping herself in the face a bit to shake off the shock "Jackie Lynn Thomas, sir!"

"Who-"

"Okay, before we begin" She gets up, the owl getting on a defensive position before Jackie raises her hands as to symbolize no threat "Hey, chill dude...look, before we begin…"She looks at the fire, and then at the owl, her expression intensifying.

"I've already checked like, a cartoon with an owl before, and I know they say whoot, but people think it's who. So you would keep saying whoot, while I get confused, and say the name, and it would work like a cheap slapstick there is no pre-recorded laugh track around" She starts, raising her index fingers, before pointing them at the Owl "Sooo...I'm going to assume all your whos are hoots, okay?" She smiles a bit nervously...and clicks the finger guns, sweat going down her brow.

The owl stares at her, eyes narrowing into thin lines…

"...wow, stole all my fun won't you" He rolls his eyes, one of the ties picking up some sticks, and a bag of marshmallows "You know, if we're doing this, might as well go all the way."

Jackie rumbling tummy gave all the answer she needed, and she gladly accepted the treat.

* * *

If Jackie was going to rate the weirdest things that ever happened to her life, surprisingly none of Marco's stories would get in the list...well, not that they weren't weird or bizarre per see, simply that circumstances made them feel more exciting than truly weird, or bizarre without the context.

The weirdest thing was meeting Sabrina by catching the girl in her arms, back in elementary, as she dropped from virtually...the sky. She's really not sure how anything around launched her, but she did catch it. She looked at her with eyes shining, probably because she wasn't hurt for once and someone helped her. That was really weird...but alright, in the end, they struck something of an odd friendship.

The girl needed it, Sabrina was way, way too obsessed with being "popular" if she wanted to kiss Britney's feet just for a goddamn invite. She probably would have tried too, but she would probably just slip on a water puddle and twist her ankle. Again.

I guess it's not as much as odd, as simply reminiscing her life on Earth, now that she has, pretty much, given up on it...or perhaps simply filler, as she tries not to find the weird scene of an owl and a homeless teenage girl roasting marshmallows on an exhibit cave, in another dimension isn't odd enough at it is…

Not that odd, but it's her first oddity out here, in the wide world! That counts for something, surely…

"Soo…" she finishes roasting her marshmallow, taking half of it in a bite…"What...are you, if you don't mind me asking, of course, I mean…"She looks away. "It's...cool if you don't."

The owl looks at her as she ends the ramble, shrugging "I'm one of the caretakers of the museum...well, at least supposed to be. I came here truly rarely in this last...century or so." Jackie looks at him surprised, gasping "Wow, you're like, centuries-old then?!"

"Don't flatter me and yourself, a year in this dimension has roughly 20 days. I'm, by the accounts of the few visitors we have, equivalent to eleven to most dimensions." He finishes, his expression and tone telling that definitely isn't the first time he told someone this little factoid.

"Then why would you tell people you're hundreds of years old?!"

"Because I technically am. It's so annoying to correct people."

"You wouldn't need to correct people if you just told the correct age!"

"But that's my correct age." He turns to her, looking at her as if she was stupid.

"But you just-" She is ready to continue, but she can notice easily the small smirk on the owl's expression...as her frowning expression evolves into a smile, chuckling to herself "Can't believe I fell for that, wow." "Well, you did take away my usual owl trick!"

Jackie feels much warmer now, taking her jacket, she eats the rest of the marshmallow in comfortable silence...they keep at this until he turns to her, asking

"So...what takes you here, lad?" Jackie pauses a bit as the owl questions, Jackie rubbing her finger against the stick that held the marshmallow in a clear grimace…

"Well, you know...seeing the Universe's most interesting sights! The...wonders, and hmm...stuff like that" She looks back to the fire, frowning, picking another marshmallow and roasting it.

"This museum is closed. It has been closed off for years now." The owl deadpans.

"Wait what?"

"Yeah, you don't see anyone going around here, do you?" He waves a wing around "Kids these days, they have no patience to you know, see interesting things of "one" universe. And the natives of this place are all off, making their own museums somewhere."

"Wait, this place was closed?!" Jackie turns to him in surprise, Star's actions...and her own, she's not gonna wipe her blame, were even harsher in hindsight.

"Yes, it's been for years, the fact that the Yarn Monster escaped doesn't help it either…" The owl looks distant, sighing "Frankly, that was the last drop for me, I'm not bothering with this place anymore, virtually anyone else can pick this up...you're lucky, this is the last time I even come here."

Jackie looks away, some guilt on her face "Where...are you going now, then?" She turns to him, rubbing her shoulder, some of the cold back…

"Who knows. I think it's time to take one's wings and fly unsupervised, you know" The monster is quite solemn and looks at her "Sometimes, you just feel...your home doesn't let you be free anymore; this museum is the most wondrous things of this universe, but what is out there? Definitely things much more interesting than here!" Jackie's eyes take a shine, the topic hitting quite close to home, and she can't help but give a toothy grin.

"I am not going to sit, and make a museum of a universe! I, Hoots-a-Lot, am going to make my own museum, the Most Interesting Things in the MULTIVERSE!" He hollers, and she can't help but get up and shout

"WOOHOO!" She gets up, pumped up, her marshmallow on fire...then quickly realizing that and dropping it on the ground, stepping.

…

"...I take you can relate?" Jackie smiles sheepishly, and rubs the back of her head, pointing to herself "Yeah I...fled from home, I'm...y'know, wanting to see what's out there, really...get the thrill of it, you know? My home got too small for...me too."

"Sounds like a fine goal...then why did you start here, of all places? It isn't really y'know...a wanderer's hub." He moves his wing around, showing the fairly empty cave. Jackie freezes a bit...should she tell him? She figures there's not much of a problem, and sighs "It...actually was my first...place out in the universe, from home I mean."

The owl raises an eyebrow...and some pieces start to click, the ties lifting him to the ground and getting close to Jackie, as she smiles wider and sweats more "Pray tell when...was the last time you've been here…"

"...Some...months ago…?"

"...were you the one that trashed this place?" His voice lowers to an almost murderous whisper…

"...in...my defense, I wasn't alone, haha…" She starts stepping back, cursing herself a thousand times for dismounting her skate.

"...young lady, you have a 10-second advantage...make the most of it, before I peck your eyes out."

"...you're younger than me."

"...8...7…"

"OKAY, I GOT IT!" Jackie rushes out of the cave, already covering her head.

And, to his credit, after the 7 seconds, he doesn't waste time before moving way too quick than a owl pyramid thing has any right, mercilessly pecking her head, the tie legs easily keeping up with Jackie **"THIS PLACE WAS BUILT BY MY FAMILY FOR GENERATIONS EVEN IF I DON'T CARE HOW DARE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS TRASH AND LET THAT MONSTER OUT, I AM GOING TO MAKE A NEST OUT OF YOUR SKULL!"**

"I'M SORRYYYYYYYYY!" She cries, wincing at every peck from the merciless not-keeper from the apparently-closed-for-years-but-still-cares museum

Okay, it's official. Lobsters? High up in the list for Jackie, cool, rad animals, deserve freedom.

Birds? They can go to-

* * *

"...wait you dislike birds now?" Marco asks, laughing...until he sees Jackie serious expression, choking a bit at the sheer intensity of it.

"Birds are nothing but evil creatures Marco. That seagull on the pier was a foreshadow, a sign of the species pure darkness." She speaks, completely serious.

They keep silent...before falling into complete laughter, Marco slapping his leg…

"HAHAHAHAHAhaha...ahh...oh Jackie, good one, hahaha…"He tries to speak, still breathless

"hehehe...I'm not joking, Marco"

"...oh."

* * *

It took a while for Jackie to lose her pursuer, mostly because he probably knew the museum like the back of his pa- wing, and Jackie didn't really see that much, considering she was busy riding a Stingray, then fearing for her life, she can be excused for not making a mental map of the museum…

After a while, however...the beaks stopped. She's not sure when, specially when the pecks still dealt that ghost pain that she thought was continued strikes, but she's certain that at a point she lost the owl...she finds herself near that lamppost they trapped the yarn beast on, the marks of the bus tires still present, she can even still see the paperclip…

...really changed, didn't she? Like, she was still annoyed, but she too got...a taste of it. And acted so natural too. She...was really behind wasn't she? From Marco, Janna...Star, even her teacher; no, that's repeating a point. She's here for that, exactly that...be like them! By like the people she admires…

Does she add Skullnick to the list now?

...also, where is the yarn of the creature?

Wait...silence. Being caught up without the others noticing. She flicks the hairclip slightly, noticing...it was torn. Torn… As far as she thinks, it completely unmade itself, didn't it?

…

Oh, that's absolute ball- Jackie turns, face entirely unamused as the yarn monster presents itself to her face, panting. She can hear the struggling sounds of the owl inside, as well as the faint shake as Hoots-a-Lot is clearly struggling inside of it. Really...she should be afraid, she really really should.

But...really, it just feels cheap. Like...no build-up whatsoever. Or perhaps there was, and she was just way too worried about the pecking, and she failed to notice the...mood or the tension? Perhaps it's life's way to constantly tell her she should have stayed at home, finish school and all that. I mean, Marco technically transferred, while she just fled and dropped out, that means she is technically a drop-o-

As the creature tries to bite Jackie's head off, she quickly ducks, and refocus her thoughts, okay that comes later, now it's a great time to make a plan. She can't run away from it, it's clearly quicker than her, as the swipes and tackles she's barely avoiding are any sign...sure she's avoiding, but mostly because of the adrenaline, and the struggling the owl is doing inside of it throwing it off a bit, the moment she loses sight of it, she's good as done, she really really needs a way to move quickly, and a way to get rid of it, her brainstorming the memories of the museum for anything…

"HOOTS!"

"WHAT!"

"DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW TO GET RID OF THIS THING?"

"ARE YOU REALLY GOING TO DAMAGE MUSEUM PROPERTY EVEN MORE?!"

 **"NOW'S REALLY NOT THE TIME FOR THAT, DUDE!"**

She's hit by one of the errant claws, hitting against the immovable post with a clear wince, rubbing her head...wow it's really immovable...wait...immovable…

Francis…

"Okay, I...got an idea. What's the heaviest thing I can move here in the museum?"

"That would be the most perfect round ball in the universe!"

"Alright. I'm going to free you, then, you're going to follow my plan, alright. To the letter!"

"...I would argue, but that would be another cliche, and I'm very aware you dislike those quite a bit." He replies after a silence

With a roll of her eyes, she times her jump, landing on the beast's claw and quickly climbing her way up as the thing tries to shake it off. She keeps shoving her hand through the yarn until she feels the owl's wing…

Okay...all of this needs to be in one maneuver, so! One...two...three! With a pull, she takes off the pyramid owl, and holds with one her arms on the lower, pyramid-like body, while the uses her hand to roll a piece of the yarn on the paper clip.

"Alright, FLY DUDE!" With a loud hoot, Hoots-a-Lot takes flight, surprisingly taking both of them, not too high in the air, but starting to unravel it...the monster is aware, and it rushes after them nonetheless, it's teeth trying to snape the yarn being pulled out of it, Jackie constantly wiggling the rope to avoid the beast's teeth snapping away the chance to stop it…

Soon enough, they indeed see the black sphere, sitting on the pedestal. Jackie looks around, finding the ominous hole Francis got stuck before. "You don't mind if I do one laaast bit of property damage, do you~?" She turns to the owl, smiling sheepishly. The owl rolls his eyes, and lands near the sphere, Jackie quickly checking how far they are from the yarn monster…

She can see him running, not much. With a gulp, she quickly does leaps around the metal sphere, rolling up the yarn a bit…and angling at the monster. She starts pushing with all her strength, teeth gritting…"Hoots...a-a little help here!" She opens her eyes, looking around but...not finding him...besides a blur, quickly speeding up- Oh crap!

With a loud metallic screech, the owl slams it's metallic half on the sphere, dislodging it from the pedestal it was balanced...it rolls over the yarn monster, who screeches loudly, it's being rolling itself around the metallic ball more and more, until it's all but around the sphere, clearly struggling...which then falls in the black hole. The creatures howlers in agony as the sphere is spliced and spliced and...

…

…

"...oh...oh...oh…" Jackie watches, feeling more ill the longer it goes. Hoots stops shaking and looks at it, also growing pale

"...yes. This is why I did put all those no object signs...people were dangerous but..this…"

"...I think I'm seeing forever. It-It's that sphere turning from the inside o-out?"

Admittedly, she didn't see what happened to Francis when he jumped there...but she's hard-pressed to think that you know, splicing...into dozens of cubes...no circles like…

"I think the more we look, the more abstract and maddening it's becoming...perhaps in some minutes, we'll be seeing sight only the gods can truly comprehend" His voice is dripping with sarcasm...and genuine worry and fear

Jackie nods absently minded, gagging slightly, as she can already feel the stomach-turning at-

Hoots-a-Lot, in the moment of compassion, guides a wing on her side and pulls her, both of them turning away and running back to the cave. Suddenly, getting as far from the museum as possible is sounding a very good idea.

Line Break -

Jackie Lynn Thomas. School Dropout. Multiverse Homeless, stands very much away from the museum, walking with the ex-manager, as he set that with uncharacteristic emphasis, as...whatever they both helped give birth was still at the back, the sounds fading into sweet, sweet silence as the yarn creature probably crossed some sort of Event Horizon, and at this point they were only witnessing a geometrical nightmare.

Jackie is with her bags and stuff, Hoots a Lot carrying his small belongings on a bag on his head…

"You know, kid...I forgive you." He says, his voice surprisingly mellow and calm…

"I'm older than you." Jackie chuckles, and he joins for a bit…Hoots turns to him, stopping, as one of the tie laces picks its own scissors. "What will you do now. I don't think you'll be sticking around in this boring ol' place." Jackie shuffles the bag a bit, nodding "I...was hoping to find someone in this museum, you know. Like...some sort of...portal metro? Yeah, or a bus station...like a bus crossing over the dimensions- Okay, you have no idea what I'm talking" She finishes as she notices the Owl's clearly confused expression "A place I could find a way to you know, meet other places!" She finishes with an eye roll, with the owl finally giving an understanding grunt.

"I know a place, they might get you into...you know, a job. This job definitely will involve going in places alright" He finishes, looking on the side "But it's a dangerous job, not lying one bit kid...not for the faint of heart."

This is it, the transitory phase! The point she'll be no longer an Echo Creek nobody! She'll...be someone! She'll see sights, she'll taste weird things, she'll…

She'll be like Marco.

With an intense nod and a fist pump, she nods.

"I'm ready." She says, conviction set in stone. No looking back, this is the start of something great!

* * *

Jackie finishes at this point, with Marco constantly apologizing, and Jackie's nervous laughter, trying to calm him down.

"Dude, you don't n-need to apologize, how could you even know?"

"Jackie, you're one of my best friends! Regardless of anything, you were in danger and I could have helped?!" Marco exclamates, shaking her in exasperation, to her amusement as she laughs more and Marco gets even more frustrated, before crossing his arms and rubbing his face.

"So...where did you go. What was this JOB? Because I swear to God if it was something that got you seriously harmed, I'll-"

"Marco, your Paladin is shining through real hard, chill. You're still a squire." She gives a teasing smile, leaving Marco blushing in embarrassment.

She waits a bit, letting him calm down before continuing.

"I got hired on a job I still do to this day; the very gratifying, dignifying job of Quest Buy, trademark symbol, Delivery girl!" She finishes with a grin and a half-lowered gaze that screams she'll know the reaction.

"...wait what."

* * *

 **Everyone starts from the bottom of the ladder, Mr. Squire. But not everyone has a dimensional princess as a propeller to success!**

 **Don't forget to rate and review! And things. And stuff.**


	3. Trial for Employement

**Well that took a while! Glad to know people are liking my fanfics!**

 **Prinn: In the end, it really is, isn't it? But while it's not that special for Marco and Star that had 3 seasons worth of content, this is something out of a pilot for Jackie. The first time is always the most special!**

 **Guest: That will be answered here!**

 **Alright, let's go to the story!**

* * *

QuestBuy™. It's...really like, y'know, the department stores on Earth. But, dimension wide...really really big, it's said that there are employees that reasonably won't see each other in their lifetimes, and entire bloodlines of people have worked here. A dimension wide store, to the likes the multiverse has never seen...nor will since they trademarked dimension wide stores. A common misconception some people tend to have is asking which Quest Buy™ people go, the one by the vortex or the one with the big parking lot; the truth is, both are in fact the proverbial "sides" of the Quest Buy™ people try to go.

Scholars from outside have been trying for centuries to understand the cryptic organization writing and "questspeak" from the native sloths, but the more it's studied the stronger the theory that only the natives possess the necessary brain structure to truly understand the writing of the ancient questbuy natives, that built the store from the deepest pits of the multiverse, all the way to the surface maze. It is said, in whispered legends, that the bottom level, the areas where the store started, are lost, the accesses to it long built on top by more store areas, and that the person that can find the bottom of it will find the vintage, classical Quest Buy™ items, even the legendary and...furtive, no expiration date 75% off Quest Buy™ products.

Every day some people try to decipher the maze-like structure, to find the hidden, forbidden sectors of the store, many of them wisening up and instead buying some chocolate and going on their way, but a very few of them give in to the insanity, to the whispers one can hear from department store gods coming from the ancient barcodes, and delve in the event horizon that is known...as the employee only doors. Without the proper preparation, and ID, one can be forever be lost and if they're lucky, found by one of the employees and guided back to the real world, where they will count their blessings, and swear never to lay a single step back in the store...until they return the next day, because there is no competition whatsoever and their explorer pickaxe need the QuestBuy™ Shine Lubricant™ for Maximum Shineness™.

And...to the poor folk, that in their arrogance, in their delusion, actually pick up the fire exit stairs...well, no one knows. Not even the employees. No one knows what sheer madness, horror, and expired products are within those ancient, unused sectors, except that every once in a while, one can hear the screams…

And, coincidentally, the Mystery Meat™ Stock is resupplied. QuestBuy™ guarantees anyone, Mystery Meat™ is not, by any means, made from People™.

How do I know all of this then? Well, it's from the employee's handbook, but anyway, let's start from the top! From...some moments after getting on it, that is.

 _ **\- O -**_

Now, Jackie will always consider that adventure on the museum a taste of what is to come for her. Thrill, weirdness, weird people, thinking about her friends...payoffs and anticlimaxes. Especially the last, considering the context she is now; the...hub she was looking for was definitely not some sort of...department store. Jackie looks on the roof, a white medieval-fashioned brand proudly waving, the name probably wrote: Quest...buy?

Oh, she gets it! It's like a best buy, but with marginally spikier things. And people in armor, and...tentacles...and…

Okay, she now gets it. Department Store, dimensional, all paths of _life_ go to a department store for something. Hub.

Life isn't a video game as she's very prone to say, the more things change the more they stay the same, great! Stars gather in her eyes, and she puts an effort to conceal a squeal of excitement, before cold reality grounds her..

That being said, however...she's the interdimensional hobo. Y'know, the kind of person that security tends to block by the entrance...she's not smelling bad, is she? A quick smell alleviates her worries, well that's one aspect crossed off...for now. Anyway, what is she to do here then?

I guess...look around? Wait for something... _again?_ Well...might as well. Ignoring the odd stares of passing customers at the human blankly staring at a wall for minutes, she adjusts the straps of her belongings and heads inside the store per see.

Like last time, Jackie took the random method, looking around the shelves and silently wondering if this is some sort of LARP Paradise: On the walls, it's nothing but weapons, armors, some sort of potions like...substance things, as well as normal products like pills, but having that medieval twist. Huh, knowing here would be really useful when the next LARP Circle comes to Echo Creek Park this Sunday! Not...that she does LARP, of course. And...well, she won't be coming anyway, so the point is moot!

...look, she likes History. She is secretly trying not to squeal at the sight of actual, medieval-like swords that doesn't look complete video-game nonsense, thank you- "Oooh, a Gladius!" She gasps as she grasps one of the swords in the display, giving it some swings. Woah, heavier than she thought! She says, lifting it to eye level, getting a good look on it. You see, the reason the likes the gladius the most is because it's the most practical of swords, being used by the Roman Empire, cheap to produce yet sturdy and reliable, with a strong grip and base-

"Hey, you know, you shouldn't just blind swing a sword around!" A tomboyish voice passes by, carrying a cart...a red-haired, freckled girl passes by, stopping her cart and looking at Jackie. She raises her eyebrow at the...pile of things, but shrugs, giving a pleasant grin

"Just you know...checking the weight! It's...hmm, important to know how heavy a sword weights, it's taken into consideration it's...stabbing prowess?" Jackie does stabbing motions with an awkward smile; admittedly, knew better words than the ones she used there, but it's...kind of a habit. "A sword's components and heights are taken into consideration for the intensity of the swing, it's piercing capacities too, as well as the sharpness of the blade! A sharp sword doesn't need overly strong materials because a good cut doesn't require a lot of strength, just momentum and a soft enough material, while other swords like the ritualistic zweihander uses from the weight and the momentum of the user and the weapon for an intense cleavin-"

"...wow, you do talk a lot about swords." She mutters a bit, looking Jackie up a down in a new light.

Pause. "I just talked out loud, didn't I." She facepalms hard, rubbing the tip of her nose in frustration "Well yeah. Like...nerd talk, but actual cool. How do ya know so much, you're a squire too?" The redhead asks, some of the people around her looking at her a little hurriedly. She whispers to them something, and they shrug, giving thumbs up and dashing on their way.

"Today is Squire Blowout Sale, so we're really y'know, rushing to get the good stuff before the other squires. My friends there will cover me, get the stuff, so we get a little time y'know, talking. I'm really curious because you...don't really look like a squire. Or a warrior, really." The girl looks, analyzing Jackie, who just looks at her clothing with a small grimace.

"I'm...not. I'm...kind of a wanderer, you know. Going on the wind, seeing new sights, and...you know...discovering secret-"

"You ran away from home didn't you."

"I ran away from home, yeah."

The silence between the both of them is palpable...before Higgs herself starts giggling, and Jackie follows...soon enough, both of them are laughing loudly, holding on each other for support. It's...liberating, after her struggle of some hours ago, to simply have someone to laugh off at the absurdity of your situation, even if they lack the full context.

Whoever she is...she's a good person, Jackie can feel it. And Jackie has never been wrong about someone so far!

 _ **\- X -**_

Marco looks entirely unamused, the polar opposite of Jackie. She's half amused, as Marco pierces pretty quick she ought to be aware of his less friendly terms with Higgs, and embarrassed over a simple revelation.

"So you were around...back when I was STARTING as a squire."

"In my defense, I didn't know you were even around!" She raises one finger, giggling awkwardly

"And you're friends with that...jerk!" He exclamates, and Jackie can't help but laugh...man, was Marco always this energetic?

Actually yeah, he was. She really did miss him.

"Higgs isn't so bad...she's just, y'know...passionate…" She tries to defend her, Marco's glare piercing through her "Okay, she's a bit of a jerk, but y'know...she never really meant any harm?" Her nervous grin gets bigger, as Marco looks more and more unamused.

"She consistently sabotaged, and called me a fake squire pretty much!"

"...okay she's a jerk but we went along."

Marco grumble and waving his hand told her she could continue the story

 _ **\- X -**_

"So...why do you like this oversized knife so much?" She asks, pointing at it, with Jackie shrugs, looking at her., disengaging from their side support

"First of all...name?" She asks of her, friendly smile on her expression

"Higgs. You?"

"Jackie." She spins the blade on her hand...before letting it fall, thankfully on the floor, with a loud clang. Higgs give a small snort, and Jackie looks on the side, giggling " Anyway, you...know television?" She turns to Higgs, who just shakes her head "I've...read quite a bit, on history. Especially weapons that are old in my world...I personally prefer a halberd, range, and arc of swing, but a good strength of the Gladius, if you see…" She hands it over to Higgs, who also test swings it, humming in approval.

"That sword was used by an army of my homeworld that was like...tightly packed together, their shield formations were legendary! So they would, like, need to have shorter swords so they wouldn't be poking each other, as well as to carry on wide travels. Not only that but the nature of their shields, which were wide blocks!" She goes into full rambling mode, her inner history buff basically screaming with joy at the thought of someone actually being interested in this stuff and listening to her without knowing her..popularity before"Not only that, but longer swords were thinner, while the base of the Gladius is wider, so the chances of bending, even against armored adversaries!" She finishes her ramble, taking a huge breath…

"Yeah," She waves her hand, looking non-puzzled at her charade "but the range is absolute garbage...like I said, oversized knife." She scratches her head, doing the same flip that Jackie tried to do, but clearly successfully. The smirk she gives Jackie doesn't go unnoticed, the girl just laughing it up.

"Yeah, but if you're traveling and carrying a lot of things, carrying a weapon that doesn't weight a lot is quite good, isn't it?"

Higgs thinks, before shrugging "Just screams to be the person can't handle some weight, if you ask me. But year, I can see the...thing about bending. Not my thing though, I'm more of an...axe person, you know?" Jackie nods, letting the weapon back on the shelf, and shrugging again

They keep silent for a while, before Higgs nods, and turns to the direction in concentration "You're a nerd, but I met a way worse nerd today, so as far as I know you're ok in my list. If I see ya later today, we can talk more about weapons!"

Jackie blinks a bit...she's not a nerd!

Nonetheless, she waves as Higgs dashes off...blinking at the sheer speed. Huh, how unusual...nonetheless, it's nice to meet someone else that at least looks like a person! With a renewed for the third time spirit, Jackie heads up to the maze with a purpose in her stride, she's certain she'll find something!

 _ **\- O -**_

She's lost.

This place is really, really like one of those mega department stores on Earth, but so, so much _worse._ The guiding boards are in a language she can't understand, cleaning products are paired up with "dirtying" products, products like dragon shampoo, invisible carriages, and many, many other products.

She knows she's not walking in circles because to her faint horror, every shelf has a different product...so she's walking in circles, but not the same circles. There's no pattern, there's no sense! She swears that, by the camping products, she actually saw a small community…

Jackie even tried to approach, but they were wearing tribal costumes and masks, and when she got closer, they started screaming, and throwing toy tomahawks at her, so she ran away; not that it stopped there, she heard the war cries as the natives ran after her with their improvised spears that were more like brooms really, insanity and bloodlust in her eyes.

She was considerably more afraid of them than the Yarn creature. Anyway, her blind running finally took her...somewhere. Some sort of...bulletin board. Or at least she thinks because they didn't use pins for the boards, but arrows. And the back of the board is actually an arrow target. Nonetheless, it's the first source of information around here that Jackie ever had so far, and…

Are that English symbols! Even better!

She approaches it eagerly, freezing for a moment as she hears the faint, distant battle cries of the tribals of clean, sighing in relief as they disperse. She's safe...for now.

She tears off the paper and wastes no time in reading the contents...even if it's useless, it's at least stimulant for the brain you know?

" _Help wanted…_ "

Welp, she's already interested.

" _Help wanted: Questbuy Delivery Service looking for body able, scissor owning individuals for delivery of packages across the Multiverse. Must be between one month and three millennia old, no sloths nor individuals with less than two limbs allowed. Method of transportation preferable. Payment to be discussed._

 _Septarians need not apply. Please don't."_

Perhaps at a point, Jackie would consider and rationalize that hey, this is simply a glorified Department Store; that she frankly ran away from home, from the normalcy and low expectations of Echo Creek to do like any low-income teenager do, and get a part-time at a department store! The only difference being that, hey, it's low wage part-time job in another dimension, but she doesn't have any scholarship back home. Or a home really.

Is...this her adventure really? Going from a reality...to the same reality?

She would probably keep in this spiraling line of thoughts weren't the fact that her stomach is rumbling quite hard, she has no money, or a roof to sleep under. Everyone needs somewhere to start, right? No shame in that. Taking off the wanted poster from the arrow, she pockets it, and returns her aimless walk with a renewed purpose...no to find an employee of this department store, and be directed for the interview…

She isn't dressed sharply, she is still a bit sweaty from the running in the museum, she's carrying her stuff around and give her some days, she'll probably be looking like a hobo.

Dressed for Success! Now, she just needs to find how the employees of this store look...her blind wanderings are finally rewarded, by seeing a sloth mopping up some goo from the floor. She ignores the fact the goo clearly has eyes, out of sight out of m- did she just make a pun-

"Good...hmm...Afternoon! I think" She approaches, winning smile and relaxed expression, waving...mentally, going through all the checks she ever did to approach someone: Smile, Wave, relaxed posture, after all the first impression is the most important one!

The Janitor turns to Jackie...and her smile simply drops. Yet again her charm fails is her thought as she keeps staring at the employee, and Jackie feels cold...but for once, not from herself. This man looks like he's seen death itself, and it voided all of its inner yards; she quickly stops looking into his eyes, for she feared to glance at the abyss itself...it's slouch position, head tilted downwards, and complete silence. She lets her arms hang, and even by his sheer presence she already feels the sweet...sweet embrace of death.

"Hello, welcome to QuestBuy, how may I help you" His eye twitches, his voice a silent monotone, of a veteran whose mind isn't even there anymore. Jackie...feels limp. She's putting actual effort to even stand up, the pressure of the Janitor's Depression such that it's actively hard to even bother speaking…

Why would she, there's no intrinsic point in life, we'll all die rotting in this carcass, life is meaningless, she-

"Who...do I talk...to get the...job…?" Her teeth is gritting against itself, her knees shaking...she wants to get away, her legs won't move...she falls on the side of the product shelf, gripping it with all her strength, the anchor to reality.

"I don't know. I guess...left. You'll find someone...even if there's not a point. This job sucks so much…" He continues, to Jackie's horror. She could feel the sweet nothings, her legs stretching as if devoured by an unseen entity, as her thoughts faded more and more. She needs to find a way to escape, to breathe...it's blacking out, she feels the embrace...she needs to escape, she needs to escape!

With a loud groan, she pushes the products off the shelves, not caring whatever it is that she just damaged, but it must be something! The oppressive aura around Jackie lets up for a moment, undoubtedly because of the surprise the Janitor felt...for a moment, Jackie's legs work again and she doesn't waste time before running on the opposite direction, as far as she could, not looking back for even a moment…

It's official, she'll never be a Janitor. She never felt such a dense, black hole of any positive emotion as that individual!

Were she to look back, she would see the Janitor simply slowly shake his head before starting to clean the remains of the jar of pickles that rude customer threw on the ground...before the formless eyed dirt tackled on him, it's unholy screeches only making Jackie run faster and faster. Maybe it's for the better if she thinks that this is the janitor's screams of rage, at least it would make her feel he felt anything besides sadness.

 _ **\- O -**_

Truth be told, Jackie didn't knew where she was going. The last minute felt like a blur of shoving people on the side, corridors, intercom callings and odd shapes and odder people..it seems to be a trend for her, isn't it? Running away from things...can't even face them like a proper person should.

Then again...he was roaring really loud. You never know with these beasts around!

By the time Jackie finally calmed down, her surroundings have changed quite a bit...gone were the damp, cavernous feeling of the shop, the sounds of intercoms...instead there is an oppressive, light grey corridor with grey brick paths, something akin to a dungeon; the paths are illuminated by lamps, although some of these lamp spots seem to have been replaced by actual torches...the jarring transition wasn't lost on her, who simply blinks, and paps her lips

"...eh?" She runs her hand around the walls of the corridor, feeling the dampness of the walls...it's really bizarre as if she suddenly crossed through a portal with her dimensional scissors...she didn't do that, did she? Her hand reaches to the back, where she tied up her scissors and brings it up to her eye level…

Now, thinking calmly...that's impossible. She doesn't know any place besides this store and the museum, and if it was the museum, she's pretty sure she would be dead by now, the thoughts of remembering what became of the yarn monster as quickly pushed to the back of her head as she humanly can; so...this is still QuestBuy. She rubs the moisture with her fingers, frowning a bit…

"It's warm…" She stretches a bit, rubbing her hand on the walls again, quizzical expression on her face...well, exploration. Adventure. Isn't that kind of what she's looking for, anyway?

Even if it, so far, has ended kinda disastrously for her, also every single time? Nonetheless, she perseveres, going down the hallway...the more she walks, however, the more this...foreboding feeling climbs up the back of her neck, and the darker the walls seem to be...are they closing?

She hears a growl...coming from the distance, freezing her steps. "Another beast?" She raises her torch in the direction of the darkness, squinting her eyes...and blinking. There is, at least as far as she sees, some sort of white orb, floating...like a small lamp, amidst the dark. No...not the dark, well dark but some sort of...waves? Like an orb, floating amongst the dark...enticing, really. She can hear the sound of waves, crashing softly against the walls, as if the corridor was flooded...maybe it is, maybe that is the why of the moisture…

A faint, salty breeze hits her face, the call of the waves almost intoxicating...she starts moving towards it, hypnotically so...she can even hear a faint whisper, a claw at her back, rubbing her shoulder and pulling...until a pull on the opposite direction breaks completely her momentum, leaving her spread on the floor. A single sloth, one of the workers...no, the same one that she tried to escape earlier is still holding to her left arm, looking at jack completely terrified. But, for once, she doesn't feel the same aura…

She's also terrified. She doesn't express that outwardly much, but internally, as she regains her senses, she really tries to comprehend what really happened...there. What was there...a sea? Why did she think the wall was moist, the walls are very much dry. The sound of the sea and waves are completely gone, only the faint cracking of the flame distinguishable from the corridor's silence…

"What...what was that…?" She finally asks, her voice heavy, but for different reasons besides the Janitor's presence...he keeps silent, simply pulling her over, a hand over her shoulder, and shakily both of them move away…

"In this store...in this place, there are secrets...monsters...discounted products that are beyond the scope of us, mere mortals, to truly comprehend. It's better to let it go, leave it to the Janitors."

"I...just want a job. This place is crazy…" She finally finishes, being able to walk on her own, chuckling. The sloth shrugs, and walks "If you go to the otherside, looking for a door of management...just...y'know, don't blame me if you get the job...it's really rough." He finishes. Jackie nods and starts going the other way, thankful for the now dry, moisture-less air inside this corridor...maybe the sloth tried to act cool and walk away, but she's still a person and easily catch up and goes past him. He looks at her, and she just shrugs, before continuing her path…

This place is...creepy. Scary really... a perfect place to start. Her parents would be so upset she would "lower" herself to department store duty...well, this place has eldritch nightmares and violent tribes! You don't get it at Walmart!

As the fear fades, the tiredness begins to seep...wow, that was a lot of action for a day, huh...she's starting to feel her legs burning a but, she really should find a place to sleep.

...you kind of do, in retrospect. Black Fridays are scary. Oh well, parallels, now where's the management…

 _ **\- O -**_

Yet again, the scenario changed quite a bit for Jackie: Brickstone walls and existential dread gave way to dull greys, slowly spinning fans, uncomfortable chairs, the faint smell of...eucalyptus? Nonetheless, she transitioned from medieval-modern to medieval-medieval and now...modern-modern. But not the modern really modern, because this felt more akin to those eighties waiting rooms, with posters, and complete blandness. She tries picking up one of the magazines to pass the time, but they collapse into dust the moment she even touched them...she would have looked surprised, but frankly, the past experiences made her a bit numb out of oddities overall. Instead, she decides to simply look at the roof, count the ants moving on it and wait for her to be called. She hasn't been waiting long really, maybe five to seven minutes. But it's...so...so dull. The adrenaline from the other calls on the day finally run out, leaving her exhausted...maybe if she closes her eyes for one moment, they will wake her up. Yes, a little nap.

As Jackie gets ready to finally lay down, however, she hears her name being called by the front receptionist. Her view is slightly hazy, but she pushes herself off of the chair, heading towards her, yawning. The sloth looks at her, up and down, and then points to the left, a corridor with many doors, the final one being PR. She gets the clue, and nods wordlessly. How many hours has it been since she left home? Pulling the sleeve of the jacket, she checks her wrist clock, Justin from Love Sentence's face staring at her with a dreamy expression.

5:37 pm. It's been, like, 9 hours since she left home. She shouldn't be this tired, how weird…

Pushing the PR's door open, she faces what is another sloth...this one looking older, the brown fur being a silvery white, an even more tired expression and a suit. They trade a stare off for a while, Jackie suppressing another yawn, and trying to straighten out her sleeves, before sitting on the chair. The boss, she presumes, pulls up some papers...which she's pretty sure it isn't hers because she gave no papers. Like, at all.

She's pretty sure that's not how interviews work on Earth.

He clears his throat…"Alright, you're hired." And gets up, and moves to leave, Jackie still having a blank expression on her face, the information slowly processing on her brain…

That's...not how interviews work.

Whatever. She's tired. Getting up, she drags herself to the receptionist, the sloth female again, staring at her emotionlessly. Jackie gives a grin, trying her hardest to not fall asleep here and there, the struggle of the day clearly taking a weight out of her…

"Hmm...do you...know a...place where I can sleep. Y'know, my home-"

She doesn't even finish the sentence before a key is slammed on the table in front of Jackie, waking her up lightly...the sloth stares deep in her soul, before shaking her head, looking at her with a pitiful gaze. Jackie takes the keys and the Sloth points this time to the right, a corridor written "Employee's Resting Rooms.". Well…

I guess they're used to her situation. She would silently wonder about the employee's rights if that was the case, but whatever. Dragging herself, opening the door of her room. There's definitely some details, but she'll look to them later. Identifying the closest thing that looks like a bed, Jackie throws herself to it, her body almost immediately shutting down

 ** _\- X -_**

"That was kind of anti-climatic" Marco points out, both of them walking side by side, each one holding a Cotton Candy. She takes a small bite out of hers, humming in pleasure…

"You get used to it, really...anti-climaxes. Life just likes to throw you off in loops and hoops and joops and…" She pauses a bit, laughing. "You get the deal" She turns to him, grinning before that grin slowly morphs into a frown, Marco's expression having a smile, but there was...something else.

"You're...kind of upset I didn't talk to you back then, huh"Jackie's voice lowers a bit, taking another bite of her cotton candy.

"...Kind of. Like, I...understand! Of course, you were busy and...didn't really know I was around. But, at the same time...I did hurt you. I swore I wouldn't be the croissant boy, but you did the same thing I did mostly because I would just flaunt and flaunt without ever considering what you thought of it!" He finally vents, taking a breathe as he words it all in one go. Jackie keeps silent for a bit, patting him on the back with a small smile.

"You couldn't know, I couldn't know. You were always kind of dense, dude" Jackie jokingly adds, taking another bite of her sugary treat.

"You're not any better…" He adds without thinking, before biting his tongue, and readying an apology to Jackie, who just laughs it off.

"I'm not, I'm really not any better. We both screwed it up, what can we do?" She shrugs amicably

"I guess…" He says, half-heartedly...Jackie bites her lips, trying to think of a way to defuse the awkward situation.

"Hey, whyyy...don't you tell me about how was your day there?" Before I continue mine?" She smiles, punching his shoulder, another wince coming from him...but at least he smiles, and starts telling his own side of the day.

On the other side of the Arcade, a portal opens, a green-haired girl passing through it, smiling in nostalgically, before calling…

"Marcoooo...Marcoooo?" She starts walking around, trying to find the red-hooded teen.

* * *

 **And that's a chapter! Don't forget to rate 'n review!**


	4. No OSHA Compliance

**Well hmmm. Been a while. Chapter is quite rough and short, but I've been dealing with a lot of IRL issues, and I feel you've all waited enough. I'll try to be a little more frequent but, hmm...this isn't giving the best of impressions, is it! Well, let's continue with the story!**

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As consciousness returned to the young teenager, some facts started becoming clear to her, matters that she didn't notice in her tired haze of yesterday. First, and foremost that she really needs a shower, she can feel sweat dripping down her brow, most likely due to the room having absolutely no windows. Second, it's really, really dusty, and she's silently glad she doesn't have any allergies, as the room looks, for a lack of better term, unhygienic, albeit not in the trashy sense; cleaning products and brooms are all around the room, with a bland stone wall look befitting of a castle dungeon, bringing small flashbacks of her earlier incursions in the store. She smells herself, wincing a bit, and staring for a bit at the detergents on the wall before shaking herself, giggling; third is more like of a conclusion of the other two, piercing that she slept in the janitor's closet. And that her "bed" was actually a bunch of uniforms piled up on the floor.

Well, that does explain the pain on her back, who would've thought! Nonetheless, it's a bright day, bright opportunities, she'll now just have a break- oh...right. She left home. Yep...that's a thing that happened. Nonetheless, she will figure things out as they go, she is quite proud of being a hands-on learner, so with a stretch, and a wince at her back, she leaves the closet, ready to make a statement. Opening the door, she's surprised to see the flux of workers. People a that looked something out of a fever dream, or those sci-fi aliens going around, carrying boxes, pushing karts and all that sort of busywork, not paying her any mind or attention, working in a flux similar to a river.

"Wow…" She admires the ambient for quite a bit, before shrugging and scratching her head, trying to remember where she went to before, and how she'll continue her work...it was the administration, right? Yeah, it was north, most likely. She enters the crowd, and starts walking towards her objective, seamlessly blending in with the crowd, walking towards her next objective…

It doesn't take long to reach the office, even with the crowd. Opening the door, and facing the same reception she saw beforehand, she walks towards the receptionist, who looks at her with a blank stare. Jackie waves, and gives a friendly smile, hands on her pockets.

"Hey, good...morning, right?" She looks at her, the sloth just looking at her with the same, blank expression...she keeps that up with a sigh, before looking at her, the sloth simply pointing out to the same door she applied before. An unspoken agreement went with them, Jackie leaving her be and going to the person that...well, will explain her job.

Same as the other times, the office is empty, and the old looking sloth looks at her with a stare that is as disinterested as Jackie was in any math class...straight, matter of fact it is, as she waits standing until the sloth looks at one of the chairs, nudging his head, Jackie taking it as a confirmation to sit down, folding her hands on her lap and staring at the sloth. Who stares back at her...which keep this second round of the staring contest they had before.

Maybe it goes for some minutes. Maybe for hours. Eventually, Jackie gives up, sighing and finally speaking "I'm the new...employee. I wanted to ask...hm...when I do start? And...training and stuff. You know?" She flashes a smile, the sloth's expression unmoving. She waits patiently, at this point completely embracing the awkwardness that is to deal with her...boss, until it opens his mouth, Jackie widening her eyes in excitement...only for him to yawn.

Thankfully, before she could lose her mind, he started speaking, picking up a piece of paper, probably the one asking for the employment and looks at her, eyes narrowed...Jackie taps her fingers on the desk, keeping the smile, while he reads...and finally, as seraphs sing back home, speaks.

"You applied for the delivery job, yes?" He says slowly and meticulously, looking at her again.

"Yes sir" Finally, some progress!

"Do you have a method of transportation…?"

Jackie nods, reaching for her bag at her side, putting the pair of scissors on the table, the sloth nodding disinterestedly.

"Have you ever worked on interdimensional deliveries?"

"No sir."

He sighs, slowly rubbing his temples with his claws.

"Should have conducted an actual interview...sigh…"

"Well...you did hmm...contract me, on the spot…" She fidgets a bit, really self-aware now.

"Yeah...guess can't go back. You'll want some...training, right?" He sounds almost defeated, reaching for a phone at his side, Jackie nodding. Jackie shrugs, but hey, she isn't being kicked out! The wait goes for quite a bit, before another sloth comes to the door, looking as displeased over being alive as her own boss...seriously, Jackie's smile is starting to hurt. Thankfully, it is fairly brief the exchange between the employee and the boss, and soon Jackie follows him to be instructed in the basics...and to get a shower.

Yes, she agrees. She really needs a shower.

"Welcome to QuestBuy, as you took the job, I assume you agree with the terms and conditions seen in your employee's contract, right?

"...Employee's Contract?" She looks at him as if he grew two heads. The sloth looks at her eyes for some moments, before nodding.

"Yes. By accepting the job, you accept the term and conditions." He explains, completely matter-of-fact.

"But I was...oh...oohhh…" She comes to realization, putting her hand on her hips.

"Plausible deniability!" Both of them say at the same time and laugh loudly...before sighing and looking eye to eye

"This job sucks."

 _ **_ X _**_

Jackie right now is currently holding Marco's scissors, a bemused expression on her face while he tries his best to get at it; she really appreciates the spirit, she really does but…

"Come on Jackie, I'll just give them a piece of my mind!" He tries to push her and get to the scissors, looking genuinely furious

Jackie can't help but laugh loudly, before finally getting Marco off of her. He tries to go to her again, but Jackie just shakes her fingers, still holding his scissors out of his reach.

"Jackie, I...really don't know what's keeping you on the job, but you have to agree that this is unacceptable! It's completely unethical and dangerous, you virtually signed a contract without even being given a chance to agree to the terms!"

"Yeah, I agree completely, that kind of sucked."

"...Tell me that the job was at least completely riskless. Please."

Jackie's silence spoke everything he needed to know, and soon she had to struggle to keep Marco's scissors out of his reach and calming him down before continuing the story.

 _ **_X_**_

Besides the realization that she got in a job that is possibly as shady as smuggling drugs if their employment was that simple, and she wasn't even allowed to see the documents, Jackie was glad that the tour was fairly simple, being told of her job: As a delivery woman, her job would be to open portals to dimensions of clients that would order products and deliver them...fairly simple stuff, but Jackie was very much aware of how dimensions could be dangerous, and her guide curious absence of note about any safety measure for them confirmed more and more that this job dealt with trouble quite a bit more troublesome…

So that's how foreign students feel, huh…She's shown the shower rooms, similar to the ones at school, and the bedrooms, which are eerily similar to those medieval barracks she would read in book-

Play video games of it, who is she kidding. Dressing rooms, leisure rooms, all the generic employee's areas, which would look more comforting if it wasn't set in stone making it look like a dungeon, and lighted by torches. She does notice the lack of any of the usual sloths she did say on the store proper, but she simply assumes there are different places for them.

"Now, you will be introduced to your team…"

This gives her a pause, an eyebrow raised at the sloth "Team?"

"Yes, the persons you're going to work more closely with." He stretches, looking bored...well, more bored than usual.

"I mean I guess" She replies, pocketing her hands, and following him down as always.

More walk, and she's finally directed to a side room, having only a couch and a coffee table. She blinks at the sloth, who just nudges her, and she sits down the door closing. Looking around, the room seems to be fairly less...medieval, looking more akin to the department store she's supposed to work...even if, oddly familiar.

The same female sloth looks at her again, and Jackie doesn't know if she should feel surprised, disappointed or confused that all that walk apparently led to the same office she was before. She rubs her eyes, voicing her frustration.

"You know, if I was going to be the same office, we could have like…" She thinks for a bit, humming. "Wouldn't have it been better if it reunited all of us inside here before the tour you know?"

She keeps staring at Jackie's eyes, but this time Jackie isn't unnerved or uncomfortable. She taps her finger against her leg, waiting for a reply, eyes boring into the recepcionist...the silence builds for some moments, the tension building up as the sloth's receptionist eyes slowly narrow, and Jackie gulps, wondering if she has said, by any circumstance, something offensive. She is already ready to apology-

"I've never seen you in my life?" She speaks, looking confused as a bit suspicious, and Jackie can't help but blink in surprise and tilt her head in confusion.

"Hmm...no, you were here when I applied for the job."

"No, not really. I think I would remember if I saw someone as ugly as you"

"Excuse me?" She speaks, frowning at the gratuitous offense, before sighing loudly, rubbing her face in, and counting…"No. I was here yesterday, this same office, your same lady." She waves it around again, pointing even at the magazine rack "This magazine is the same I've left that day!"

"I think you're mistaking me for my twin"

"Your two-" She is ready to continue before a bell rings "Jackie Lynn Thomas, please present yourself to office 4. Jackie Lynn Thomas, please present yourself on office 4" She looks up and glares at the sloth receptionist, who is back at work as if the whole exchange never happened. Jackie narrows her eyes, pointing at her and herself "This isn't over…" She whispers, following the corridor, the sloth staring as if she's crazy.

She probably is, this place really is getting to her. Taking some breaths, she heads to the office, getting ready to...meet her co-workers? The stale, cold air hits her face, and she notices some faces, none of them familiar from Marco's stories. One of them is like one of those...harpies? No no, he's much more like...Ludo, right? Yeah, Ludo! Much like Ludo, the person sitting by the left has the same green like...feathers, or fur? It's so small…the same beak, yellow eyes, and frankly she probably would have called him Ludo, if it weren't the fact that most of the similarities seem to end there, this one being bigger, like, way bigger than what Marco told her Ludo was, and slimmer too, wearing nothing short of jeans and a white tank-top. He waves at her casually, Jackie replying with a nod before looking to the other side, taking notes on what appears to be the second co-worker.

The second person...honestly, she's adorable and she wants to squeeze her, immediately. Some sort of...princess? She's wearing a princessy enough dress, a magenta dress with a pink tie, holding all the fluffy goodness doing like a fluffy cloudy collar around her neck, her arms shaved besides the wrists, and below the small dress, the fluffy continues like a heavenly-

"...oh...ah...hmmm…"

"Ms. Lynn Thomas, please let go of your co-worker," The sloth says in a tone that borders on having almost any emotion at all besides boredom, this case a hint of annoyance, as the girl hugs the princess tightly, Jackie right now just truly appreciating how soft and fuzzy and warm and-

She's being a creepy and now really weird, but...she's been dealing with monsters and oddities all the time! For once, something weird that actually doesn't look menacing and fluffy an-

"You'll have to pry her from my cold dead hands," Jackie says gravely, simply hugging her tighter and glaring at both sloth and Dennis...well, the sloth. Dennis already is slowly giving her space, like one would give a cornered animal.

The princess, really, looks at both of them with a mix of acceptance, and wariness...like if it wasn't something unusual, but still weird. Nonetheless, she tries nudging Jackie off by pushing her shoulder. She eventually gets the tell, or the urge to give in to her girlish, cute worshiping desires fades away, the literal stars in Jackie's eyes going away, and leaving the teenager to watch herself hug a stranger that looks quite uncomfortable, if resigned, and two others looking at her quite weirdly.

"..."

"You got it...out of your system?" The not-ludo says, and she truly, truly appreciates the friendly tone.

"...yes."

"...then please get it off of her. You're scaring everyone.."

"I'm okay. It ain't the first time, really." The ram princess says almost nonchalantly

"..."

It took a whole five minutes for the awkward aura to just lower enough for anyone to have the courage to speak anything.

 _ **_O_**_

After the pause, things were straightforward and admittedly much more professional. Well...as professional as a sloth telling about your work in an extra-dimensional department store can get away with it. Dennis and Ram, yes that's her real name, were respectively her "team?"

She would have asked why would she need a team, but that was explained rather quickly too, even cutting her off as she was ready to ask.

"You three are responsible so the deliveries are as smooth and without problems. Most clients that order products are from...dimensions or circumstances that don't...like, let them come, or whatever."

Dennis and Ram mutter among themselves, leaving Jackie to just look at them and take some details...they seem to know each other well enough, really. Not really, intimate, but there's no...uneasiness of talk, of talking to a complete stranger like her. Probably they applied together? She's not sure…

A cough cuts whatever the three are doing, refocusing on the trainee. He points at Ram, who bleats in our- Oh my god did it just bleat that's so-

"Your job is in the package, and delivery control...you're like, you receive the delivery orders and get the products from the storage. After this, you'll keep watch of the two…"

So...like a control center? That's cool! Sounds easy enough, just get on the back and hand it to her…

Wait, why is he giving her a sword, that looks...really sharp. Ram seems to have had the same thought, looking at him in bewilderment, Ram wiggling a bit as she tries to move the heavy sword off of her chest.

"You'll need that. And you two…" He points at both Jackie and Dennis, the two of them pointing to themselves, eyes wide open as to take in the information of their roles.

"You both are the delivery duo. Your job is...y'know, to deliver the package to the client. Pretty straightforward stuff." He finishes, shrugging...and not giving them any sword or anything; Jackie glances at the side, as Ram finally got the sword off of her chest and shakily tries to raise it to head level, her knees trembling at the effort, and her face quite red.

"Wouldn't…" She glances at Dennis, then back at the trainee "Wouldn't it be better if we both did our own deliveries instead of going together? Efficiency...and all that?" Secretly, Jackie is just nervous about her partner...it's judgemental of course, but if the story of Ludo is true...are all of them like that? Would she get dragged into some evil plot to steal Star's wand?

...in retrospect, that is both statistically impossible. Unless he's like, his brother or something, what are the odds?

Look at him, preening off his own feathers. Pure, unadulterated, statistically impossible evilness!

...what's happening to hi-

"Studies show that there are better odds of successful delivery if you have a partner to rely on. Most delivery employees before tended to fail with higher frequency and those that survi- I mean, kept on the job tended to show signs of PTS- clear stress. The formation of a team is to alleviate stress and frustration, as well as save money on psycholo- resources and management."

He isn't even trying to hide it anymore, what did she get into…

The rest of the lecture was, thankfully, more akin to what she expected of a department store, and not what seems a blatant job for a mafia; uniform for work, lunch time, locations of importance, the regulamentations as employees of Quest Buy, and general stuff that she could ignore and find in the booklet held to her.

"Your delivery work will start in an hour. Get to your rooms and prepare yourselves."

"...are you sending us to our work or to a war." She finally speaks what is probably on everyone's mind, as they help Ram carry her unreasonably heavy sword...seriously, a claymore? Does it look like someone like Ram could even use something like that, she doesn't even start to have the muscle mass for it!

"What's the difference?" Is that a smirk?! She can't elaborate further, as the trainee quickly leaves, and they get ready to prepare for their job...like before, Dennis and Ram begin to chat, something about an upcoming ball? Jackie looks at her nails, grimacing a bit as, expectedly so, most of it is damaged. She's not exactly girly, but she did like to paint her nails a bit...nostalgia hits hard, her eyes softening and she thinks of her room, her home...would her parents be looking for her? Are they even back home yet?

The semester's probably starting. Sabrina is...probably okay, really. She hopes. With Star out, Brittney is probably the """queen""" of the school again, and is resting on her """laurels"""; the girl is probably sticking to her like glue, hoping or even a second of attention…

The scissor on her pocket hasn't felt heavier than it is now, and the thought that all that is but a cutting motion away is fairly maddening.

No going back however...it would be her defeat if she did. She'll persevere, she'll survive...she'll befriend them all! Marco did, so can she!

...Right?

 _ **_X_**_

"The more I hear of this job, the angrier I am getting you know?" Marco replies his scissor firmly on Jackie's grip. She shrugs and gives it back to him, Marco taking with a huff...but at least not opening a portal there.

She really y'know, rather not lose her job.

"You really don't have a lot of ground to speak, you know Marco."

Marco glances at him, and opens his mouth to argue...and then thinks better; he tries again, probably remembering another example, but that is also shot down, Jackie amusedly watching as Marco goes a mental checklist for anything that he can use…

"Well, I...uh...I'm not b-being p-paid for...any of it!" He finally finishes lamely, Jackie just staring at him before giggling. Marco blushes a bit in embarrassment, rubbing his face.

"Dude, chill." She speaks, putting a hand on his shoulder with a warm smile, Marco reciprocating, when a voice echoes, cutting their "moment". Another voice approaches them, Jackie turning and blinking. A long haired teen, wearing a striped long-sleeved shirt, and circular glasses with...no nose? She turns to Marco, smiling slightly and punching his shoulder.

"What's holding you, man? I was waiting for practice all this time! You thought you would take like, 20 minutes top like you said!" the girl speaks, Jackie making an oh as well as mentally filling up what seems to be another of Marco's friends.

"Oh, r-right!" Marco jumps in surprise, rubbing his knuckles on his head, shaking it "Hmm...Jackie that's Kelly. She's a really great friend of mine, we practice sword together." He finishes, nodding. Jackie gets up, dusting her...duster, and shaking hands with Kelly. She doesn't really...look like much of a sword fighter, but then again Marco used to be a safe-boy and she used to be a skater.

Funny how life goes, doesn't it? She doesn't really remember the last time she skates seriously that wasn't to save her life.

"I don't think I've seen you anywhere, though…" She rubs her chin with her hand, analyzing Jackie scrumptiously.

"She's Jackie Lynn Thomas, a friend from Earth. Well...another" He mumbles the last sentence, Jackie nodding and smiling ear to ear.

"Another female friend, huh" She looks at Marco with a playful smile, Marco already sighing "If I didn't know any better…"

"I mean…" Jackie tries to butt in, albeit already giggling at Marco's embarrassment "Marco did have two male friends...Alphonso and...hmm...eeer.."

"Ferguson."

"Yeah, Ferguson."

This does take Jackie by surprise, tapping her chin "Oh really? I always thought Marco was kind of…"

"Sissy?"

"Yeah, totally!"

"I am not sissy!"

Both of them fistbump and laugh at Marco's expense...well she seems pretty chill!

"So, what were the two of you doing?"

"Oh just some catching up!" Marco gets up, stretching his arms "Practice is now, isn't it?" To Kelly's nod, he turns to Jackie, offering a hand, which she just rolls her eyes but takes, getting off the chair.

"You wanna come with us?" He asks innocently enough. Jackie freezes, looking at Marco like he grew two heads...for a moment at least.

"Oh! Eh...hmm… I...gueeeess?...sure, sure!" She replies quickly, some nervousness sipping on her voice, throwing Marco and Kelly off a bit.

"Oh...well, okay!" She says, probably unaware, and picks her own scissors...while that happens, Marco looks meaningfully at Jackie, who just sighs and rolls her finger in a circular motion.

Later. She rather not opens that can of worms now. And as Kelly and Marco both cross the portal, Jackie enters the place she has dreaded the most since she got out of Earth.

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 **I won't make these short chapters a habit. Writer's block a beeetch. Don't forget to rate and review!**


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